There are 3 issues in this thread. Fingers have to be pointed in the right direction. First, tin foil hat or not, the FIM and AMA are to blame for the inequality of 2T's and 4$'s. Period. The manufacturers and promoters could be blamed for lobbying for it, but ultimately, it is the responsibility of the FIM/AMA to set the rules. The manufacturers want 4$. The promoters want manufacturers. The FIM/AMA want promoters. Simple really, except it is a backwards food chain.
Second, KTM has good reasons to promote one model over another. It is their company and they see it as an advantage to do so. KTM should be commended for stepping up to the FIM and AMA's plate when the FIM 'discussed' lowering the max cc limit for the MX1 to 350. KTM built a bike in an massively short time - not small feat in itself and must have been overly expensive to do so...then put their best riders on it and sent out to win. And win they did! Proving that the best rider, even at a Hp disadvantage - which was the goal of the FIM anyway. Proof of concept.
Conversely, the AMA was under pressure to bring back the 125's for the kids. Anyone who would argue that 'stepping from the 85 to the 250F is a good idea' is a moron, should not be listened to, and should be duct taped and stuffed into a very small corner. KTM again stepped up with not one, but 2 motorcycles; The 105 (just a big bore big wheel 85) and the 144. The AMA in reaction to its members, upped the cc limit for 2T's to 150 cc in what is renamed the 250F class. KTM built a bike for it. The 144 had issues initially so once solved, was renamed the 150, but it is still just a 144. Why? The only way to race in the 100 class or to be competitive with a 125 in the 250F class was to build a bike. That took the 85 and 125 cc motorcycle over the price of a 250F. It also massively shortened the life of the bike to resemble the 250F's in maintenance costs. KTM, although I bit more expensive, is MUCH cheaper than building a YZ/KX/CR/RM 144 - and not as good. We are just now getting the 144 from Husqvarna, 5 years after the rule change (which is pretty average for production schedules), but that is just a kitted 125 as well. The KTM is a purpose built 144.
The final point is that:
Racing is a form of advertisement
No. You are wrong. Motocross Racing is a sport. Because it is an expensive SPORT, people have found out how to get someone else to pay for them to play their SPORT. Promoters found out how to get someone else to pay them to put on events so people could play their sport. The main job - first and foremost of the FIM and AMA - is to REGULATE MOTORCYCLE SPORTS (goes back to point 1). You are right in that "what wins on Sunday, sells on Monday" but "Motocross" is not, and should not be just a rolling billboard or television commercial and it is the RESPONSIBILITY of the FIM/AMA to put rules in place that are fair to all competitors - regardless of what the manufacturers want.
Look, if the FIM announced a new class, one with fair and equal rules but monopolized the title "World Championship", promoters would line up
To include it. Riders would vie for the chance to compete in it, even if they had to build it themselves. Manufacturers, who could build it cheaper, would jump on the bandwagon to make a buck. That is how it is supposed to be before the Marketing types took over and turned SPORT into ADVERTISEMENT.
Marketers have f'ed up every major sport including Baseball, Football (both kinds), Hockey, Golf, Auto Racing...
We need to reverse the food chain.
